NFL draft: Patriots trade No. 1 for four picks

Friday

Apr 26, 2013 at 6:00 AM

By Rich Garven TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

The NFL Draft got underway Thursday night with the selection of 32 would-be professionals. That was the start of a football frenzy that will conclude Saturday evening after 254 picks have been made over seven rounds at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

The Patriots entered the 75th annual collegiate game of chance with five picks, including the 29th overall. There was much speculation prior to Round 1 that Bill Belichick would deal down, gladly exchanging his first-rounder for multiple picks in what is generally perceived to be a deep draft.

After all, Belichick had never departed a draft with fewer than six prospects since arriving in New England in 2000. That came in 2002, the lack of quantity offset by quality in the form of tight end Daniel Graham, defensive end Jarvis Green, and receivers Deion Branch and David Givens.

Trader Bill had made 50 draft day trades in his first 13 seasons here, pulling one deal after another from out of his hoodie. He added to that total by one Thursday with the first of what is likely to be much wheeling and dealing in the days to come.

The Patriots sent their first-rounder to Minnesota in exchange for choices in the second (52nd), third (83rd), fourth (102nd) and seventh rounds (229th). The Vikings used the pick, their third of the night, on Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.

“We had conversations with a few teams,” director of player personnel Nick Caserio said. “This was an opportunity we felt made sense for us. It's an opportunity to add more players to our team; we feel there are a lot of good players available.

“We picked up a pick in the second and third rounds, a pick in the fourth round, which we didn't have, and then got a seventh-round pick, as well, which in years past those have been pretty valuable.”

The Trade Value Chart, which attaches a point total to every pick in the draft, designates the 29th overall pick as being worth 640 points. The four picks the Patriots received are valued at just under 650 points.

So, based on that, it was a fair exchange.

The draft resumes at 6:30 tonight with Rounds 2 and 3. The Patriots now have two picks in each of those rounds – Nos. 52, 59, 83 and 91 – and a total of eight overall.

“We feel there are football players that are out there that can help our team,” Caserio said. “And as we said the other day, our whole goal and job is to help us improve the team and win games. We felt this effort will hopefully aid in that pursuit, so we'll see how it goes tomorrow.”

The Patriots started engaging in trade talks with multiple teams around the middle of the draft, including with Minnesota. Those talks turned serious some 15-20 minutes before the Patriots went on the clock.

“Minnesota had expressed an interest and we went back and forth,” Caserio said. “We decided it made sense, so we made the move.”

Caserio said the Patriots were prepared to use their pick and had a few players in mind before opting to go the trade route.

“A few of them remain,” he said of the players the Patriots had targeted in Round 1. “I think if you look at it now there are a lot of good football players (left).”

The question going into Friday is whether the Patriots will move up closer to the top of the second round.

“Possibly,” Caserio said. “We'll see how it goes. I think based on the number of players that are there, if there are multiple players that's one thing. If players start to come off and then we want to make a move up, we have maybe a little more flexibility to do that. I think we're open to anything at this point and we'll have to see how it unfolds once we get started.”

While the Fickle Foxboro Faithful were waiting for the Patriots' to make a move, they focused their attention on the so-called competition that comprises the AFC East. The doormat Buffalo Bills came in with the eighth overall pick, the dreaded New York Jets had Nos. 9 and 13, and the up-and-coming Miami Dolphins were slotted 12th.

There was plenty to keep them occupied.

The Dolphins made the first major move of the evening, shipping their first-rounder and a second-rounder (42nd) to Oakland for the third overall pick. They used it to nab Oregon outside linebacker Dion Jordan, bringing smiles to the faces of coach Joe Philbin and defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle, who once were assistants at WPI and Holy Cross, respectively.

The 6-foot-6, 248-pound Jordan is viewed as a three-down player who'll make his money in obvious passing situations with his terrific ability to pressure the pocket. That's something the Dolphins' defense, despite its 21st overall rating, excelled at last season, finishing eighth in the league with 42 sacks.

But in this pass-happy era, you can never have enough pass rushers as the Patriots have learned the hard way in recent years.

The Bills then executed a trade of their own, shipping their first- and third-round (71st) choices to St. Louis for picks in the first (16th), second (46th), third (78th) and seventh (222nd) rounds. That increased Buffalo's stock of selections from six to eight and allowed the Rams to jump one spot ahead of the Jets.

The Rams took versatile and explosive West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin, a player who had increasingly been linked to the Jets as the draft drew near. He was seen in New York as an instant cure for an offense that ranked 30th last season.

The Jets, picking next, settled for All-America cornerback Dee Milliner of Alabama. Milliner essentially replaces All-Pro corner Darrelle Revis, who was traded to Tampa Bay last week for a couple of picks, including the 13th.

No pressure there.

Picking four spots later, the Jets also devoted that choice to defense with the addition of massive tackle Sheldon Richardson from Missouri. They're hoping he can shore up a unit that was a woeful 26th against the run.

The Bills finally got their turn at the podium, using the 16th pick to take Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel. It was the first big surprise of the evening.

ESPN had Manuel rated sixth among quarterbacks, behind the likes of West Virginia's Geno Smith and Syracuse's Ryan Nassib, who played for first-year Bills coach Doug Marrone in college.

Manuel is expected to compete with Kevin Kolb for the starting job. The winner will become the 10th quarterback in the last 17 years to hold that position in Buffalo, which last made the playoffs in 1999 with Doug Flutie directing the offense.